Combined shell extractor and indicator assembly

ABSTRACT

A combined shell extractor and indicator assembly for a gun providing both visual and tactile indication of the presence of a shell in the gun chamber. The indicator is built into and carried by the extractor and is designed for use in lieu of a conventional extractor without need for alteration in the gun.

ttea atent 3,561,396

[72] lnventor Arthur 1E. Luciani 2.145.328 1/193 Walther 42/16 6744 Mulholland Drive, Hollywood, Calif. 2850.827 9/1958 Luciam 42/1 [21] Appl 8 9 9 FOREIGN PATENTS 1221 Filed D912 6 271 863 3/1914 German 7 y... 42/1 [451 Patented 91 1971 370,907 3/1923 Germany". 2 42/1 437,957 12/1926 Germany 42/1 [54] COMBXNED SHELL EXTRACTOR AND Primary Examiner-Louis J. Capozi lNDKQATUR ASSEMBLY Attorney-Sellers and Brace 7 Claims, 4 Drawing Figs.

52] 11.5.1311 116/114, 42/1 [51] lnt.Cl .1Gld'2l/00 [50] Field of Search .1 .1 116/114, ABSTRACT; A combined Shel] extractor and indicator 135; 1 1D, 16 sembly for a gun providing both visual and tactile indication of the presence of a shell in the gun chamber. The indicator is [56} Referemes Cited built into and carried by the extractor and is designed for use UNITED STATES PATENTS in lieu of a conventional extractor without need for alteration 1,896,820 2/1933 Jolidon .1 42/1UX in the gun.

5 4, ,4 @1 20 p 24 2 5 1: x x c m .1 0 Q 52 2/ OOOOODOODu a 0000000 I 7 COMBINED SHELL EXTRACTOR AND INDICATOR ASSEMBLY This invention relates to guns and more particularly to an improved shell extractor and indicator assembly It is a primary object of the present invention to provide a simplified and less expensive shell extractor and indicator assembly for use in guns. particularly of the automatic type. and providing a positive indication of the presence of a shell in the chamber.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a unitary shell extractor and indicator assembly designed for use in lieu of a conventional extractor without need for alteration of the gun.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a combined shell extractor andindicator assembly providing both a visual and a tactile indication when a shell is present in the gun chamber.

These and other more specific objects will appear upon reading the following specification and claims and upon considering in connection therewith the attached drawing to which they relate.

Referring now to the drawing in which a preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated:

FIG. I is a transverse sectional view longitudinally of the gun chamber of an automatic pistol showing a preferred embodiment of the invention extractor and shell indicator engaged with the extractor rim of a shell;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary side elevational view of the extractor assembly per se engaged over the rim of the shell;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 3-3 on FIG. 2; and

FIG. 4 is a side elevational view of the assembly per se as viewed in FIG. 2 but showing the shell indicator in its normal retracted position.

The present invention embodies important improvements in the related extractor assembly disclosed in my US. Letters Pat. No. 2,850,827 granted Sept. 9, 1958. That assembly functions very satisfactorily but is subject to the disadvantage of being more costly to manufacture and utilizes a shell indicator of inherently small cross section, its size being limited by the mode of its assembly to the extractor; accordingly, that construction is lacking in the desired ruggedness and reliability, factors of paramount importance in gun mechanisms.

Referring now to the drawing, there is shown an improved shell extractor and indicator assembly, designated generally 10, of unusual simplicity, ruggedness and reliability. The particular design therein shown is specially contoured for mounting in lieu of a conventional extractor in an automatic hand gun, indicated at 11 in FIG. I, and of the type having a heavy duty slide reciprocable longitudinally of the breech end of barrel 13. It will be understood that this slide reciprocates through a limited path crosswise of the upper end of the hand grip, not shown, but well known to those skilled in the firearms art. This hand grip conceals a clip type shell magazine the upper end of which is positioned to feed shells individually into chamber 15 following rearward retraction of slide 12 and during the return movement of the slide to its normal forward position. Slide 12 is provided with an elongated shouldered bore housing extractor assembly 10.

Referring now more particularly to FIGS. 2, 3 and 4, it is pointed out that assembly 10 comprises an elongated main body formed of high grade spring steel or the like, and provided at its forward end with an extractor hook 21 engageable with the forward face of shell rim 22. The enlarged rear end 24 of the extractor body has a close sliding fit in the enlarged shouldered outer end 25 of bore 18, with its outer end 26 terminating flush with the rear end surface 27 of slide 12. The extractor assembly is normally held locked in its assembled position by a slide plate supported in a T-slot 29 extending vertically along and opening through the rear end of slide 12. One lateral edge 30 of this slide seats snugly in groove 31 extending crosswise of the enlarged outer end 24 of the extractor body. Preferably enlargement 24 has a flat surface 32 adjacent one edge of slide plate 30 and cooperating therewith to hold the extractor assembly against rotation within bore 18.

Plate 30 is normally locked against sliding movement by firing pin 35 supported in bore 36 of slide 12. For this purpose. the rear end of firing pin 35 includes a projection 37 loosely receivable in bore 38 of slide 30 and retained in place therein by firing pin spring 40 The shell indicator forming an important feature of the invention. has an elongated main body 42 provided with a wide flat face 43 at its inner end slidable lengthwise of a similar surface 44 of extractor 20. These surfaces are normally held in close contact with one another by engagement of these two parts with the side walls of bore 18. Additionally. extractor 20 is provided with a pin 45 projecting from surface 44 into short slot 46 in indicator 42. Desirably, pin 45 projects slightly beyond the adjacent exterior surface of shell indicator 42 and bears against the adjacent surface of bore 18 thereby to avoid friction between the latter surfaces.

The rear or outer end of indicator 42 is L-shaped. including a short leg 48 and a relatively long .leg 49. This L-shaped portion of the indicator has a sliding fit within an L-shaped bore formed in the outer end portion of extractor 20. This bore includes a long leg 50 housing indicator leg 49 and a short leg 51 opening laterally through the side of extractor 20 and accommodating the shorter indicator leg 48. The enlarged outer end of bore 50 is normally closed by a plug 53. Encircling indicafor leg 49 is a light compression spring 55 having one end bearing against the end of plug 53 and the other end bearing against indicator leg 48.

Referring more particularly to FIGS. 2 and 4, it is pointed out that the lower inner end of the indicator 42 is beveled to provide a camming surface 58 engaged by rim 22 of a shell while being loaded into chamber 15. As the shell rim moves upwardly into contact with camming surface 58, as the parts are viewed in FIGS. 2 and 4, it will be apparent that indicator 42 is forced to slide longitudinally of itself in a rearward direction. When the shell is fully seated in the chamber the forward side of its rim 22 is engaged with extractor hook 21 and the rear surface of the rim is engaged with the forward end of indicator 42. In this manner, indicator 42 is forcibly held extended with its rear distinctively colored end 60 protruding outwardly beyond the rear end of slide 12. However, if no shell is present in chamber 15 spring 55 holds the inner end of the indicator pressed against hook 21, in which event outer end 60 lies flush with end surface 26 of the extractor assembly as is clearly shown in FIG. 4. Under these conditions, the observer can neither see nor feel the projecting end of the indicator and is thereby assured that a shell is not present in the chamber. However, if he can observe the projecting end of the indicator or feel it with the tip of his finger it is known that a shell is present.

From the foregoing it is apparent that the improved extractor-indicator assembly herein illustrated and described is readily assembly and disassembled from the gun. Likewise the two principle components of assembly 10 are not only rugged but simple in design and so contoured as to be readily and cheaply manufactured. These parts have sufficient resiliency to permit their assembly and disassembly without need for tools by first springing the inner ends of these parts laterally away from one another by the slight amount required to disengage slot 46 from pin 45, it being noted from FIG. 3 that the shorter leg 51 is of adequate size for this purpose. Although a typical preferred embodiment of the invention hereinabove disclosed is specially contoured for use in a well known commercial automatic gun construction, it will be understood that the invention principles are readily embodied in similar extractor-indicator assemblies appropriately contoured for use in guns of a wide variety of types and constructions.

While the particular combined shell extractor and indicator assembly herein shown and disclosed in detail is fully capable of attaining the objects and providing the advantages hereinbefore stated, it is to be understood that it is merely illustrative of the presently preferred embodiments of the invention.

I claim:

1. An article of manufacture comprising an elongated slender shell extractor having a shouldered head at its outer end and a hook at its inner end projecting inwardly toward one side of and adapted to engage over the extractor rim of a shell when said shouldered head is seated in the extractor well of a pistol frame, an L-shaped bore having one leg extending lengthwise of said head and the other leg opening laterally through the sidewall of said extractor forwardly of said head, a long shell indicator member slidably supported along the inner side of said extractor and including an L-shaped outer end having a loose sliding fit with said bore lengthwise of said head, spring means encircling one L-leg with a first end bearing against the other L-leg and a secondend bearing against stop means carried interiorly' of said head, said spring being effective to hold the inner end of said shell indicator normally closely adjacent the extractor hook with the outer end thereof generally flush with the exposed outer end of said head, and the presence of a shell in theshell chamber being effective to hold said shell indicator extended with its outer end projecting beyond the end of said head and providing a tactile and visible warning of the shell presence 2. An article of manufacture as defined in claim 1 characterized in that said L-shaped bore cooperates with the L- shaped outer end of said shell indicator to supportthe same for limited reciprocable movement while preventing rotary movement of said shell indicator member generally about the length thereof.

3 An article of manufacture as defined in claim 1 characterized m that said shell extractor and shell indicator include.

pin and slotmotion, control means at their inner ends cooperating to restrain said. shell indicator limited reciprocable movement lengthwise of one another.

4. An article of manufacture as defined .in .claim 3 characterized in that said shell extractor and said .shell indicator are;

held in assembled relation substantially solely by the telescopic engagementofsaid L-shaped bore and the L-shaped outer;-

end of said shell indicator and by the abutment of the inner: end thereof with said extractor hook.

5. An article of manufacture as defined in claim l,charac.-.

terized in that said head hasa slot-crosswise of' the exten'on; side thereof adapted to seat a sliding lock carried on the pistol 1 frame and slidable into said slot'to'lock said article of manu-r facture assembled within the piston'extractor chamber.

6. An article of manufacture as defined in claim 1 charac-:

terized in that the leg of said L-shaped bore extending terized in thatsaid shell extractor and indicator assembly is designed for installation in lieu of the extractor of a conventional automatic pistol to convertthe same to use with positive means for indicating the presence of a shell in the chamber thereof. 

1. An article of manufacture comprising an elongated slender shell extractor having a shouldered head at its outer end and a hook at its inner end projecting inwardly toward one side of and adapted to engage over the extractor rim of a shell when said shouldered head is seated in the extractor well of a pistol frame, an L-shaped bore having one leg extending lengthwise of said head and the other leg opening laterally through the sidewall of said extractor forwardly of said head, a long shell indicator member slidably supported along the inner side of said extractor and including an L-shaped outer end having a loose sliding fit with said bore lengthwise of said head, spring means encircling one L-leg with a first end bearing against the other L-leg and a second end bearing against stop means carried interiorly of said head, said spring being effective to hold the inner end of said shell indicator normally closely adjacent the extractor hook with the outer end thereof generally flush with the exposed outer end of said head, and the presence of a shell in the shell chamber being effective to hold said shell indicator extended with its outer end projecting beyond the end of said head and providing a tactile and visible warning of the shell presence.
 2. An article of manufacture as defined in claim 1 characterized in that said L-shaped bore cooperates with the L-shaped outer end of said shell indicator to support the same for limited reciprocable movement while preventing rotary movement of said shell indicator member generally about the length thereof.
 3. An article of manufacture as defined in claim 1 characterized in that said shell extractor and shell indicator include pin and slot motion control means at their inner ends cooperating to restrain said shell indicator to limited reciprocable movement lengthwise of one another.
 4. An article of manufacture as defined in claim 3 characterized in that said shell extractor and said shell indicator are held in assembled relation substantially solely by the telescopic engagement of said L-shaped bore and the L-shaped outer end of said shell indicator and by the abutment of the inner end thereof with said extractor hook.
 5. An article of manufacture as defined in claim 1 characterized in that said head has a slot crosswise of the exterior side thereof adapted to seat a sliding lock carried on the pistol frame and slidable into said slot to lock said article of manufacture assembled within the piston extractor chamber.
 6. An article of manufacture as defined in claim 1 characterized in that the leg of said L-shaped bore extending lengthwise of the head of said extractor member includes a snug fitting sleeve seated therewithin with the inner end thereof serving to support The outer end of the spring surrounding one L-leg of said shell indicator.
 7. An article of manufacture as defined in claim 1 characterized in that said shell extractor and indicator assembly is designed for installation in lieu of the extractor of a conventional automatic pistol to convert the same to use with positive means for indicating the presence of a shell in the chamber thereof. 